Which ancient statue is named in Emma Lazarus's poem about the Statue of Liberty?

Emma Lazarus’s poem about the Statue of Liberty names the Colossus of Rhodes.

The reference appears in the poem’s title, “The New Colossus,” and in its opening image of the “brazen giant of Greek fame.” The ancient Colossus of Rhodes was a gigantic bronze statue associated with the Greek island of Rhodes and was counted among the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World.

Lazarus contrasts that older monument with a different kind of colossus: the Statue of Liberty. The Colossus of Rhodes represented grandeur and conquering power, while Lazarus presents Liberty as a welcoming woman whose torch guides displaced people toward safety. That contrast helps explain why the poem became so strongly linked with immigration.

The poem was written in 1883 to help raise money for the Statue of Liberty’s pedestal. It was not part of the statue’s original dedication ceremony and initially faded from public attention. In 1903, its text was installed on a plaque inside the pedestal, where lines about “huddled masses” helped shape the statue’s modern image.